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UPenn
Admissions Statistics for UPenn Dental School Requirements
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Background Information
- Location: Philadelphia, PA
- Institution Type: Private
- Campus Setting: Urban
- Dental Doctoral Degree: Doctor of Dental Medicine
- Mission Statement: “Foster a humanistic environment where each individual in our diverse community is valued, respected and empowered. Treat our patients with compassion and respect, and provide exceptional evidence-based care. Honor Penn Dental Medicine’s legacy through transformative initiatives to solve the complex problems of today and tomorrow. Shape the global dental profession by teaching evidence-based knowledge and providing opportunities to pursue individualized development for life-long learning. Promote interdisciplinary collaborations that accelerate innovation and scientific discovery to address unmet needs in health. Mentor exceptional leaders in education, research and oral health.”
- Year Opened: 1878
- Number of Months to Earn Degree: 44
- Campus Housing Available: Yes
- Class Size: 167
- Term Type: Semester
Combined degrees offered:
B.A./B.S.
M.B.A.
M.P.H.
M.S.
Ph.D.
Other Degrees
- M.S in Bioethics, Education, and Translational Research
- Other degrees: M.S.E in bioengineering; J.D. (law)
International Dental Graduate Programs:
Traditional Predoctoral Program for IDGs
Advanced Standing Program for IDGs
Yes
Yes
Admissions Statistics: (2024 Applicant and Entering Class Data)
- Mean Age of First-Time, First-Year Enrollees: 22
Acceptance Rates by Location:
Number of Applicants
Number of Enrollees
Enrollment Rate
Overall
2,852
167
5.9%
In-State
163
17
10.4%
Out-State
2,416
130
5.4%
International
273
20
7.3%
Class Breakdown by Residency:
Number of Enrollees
Percentage of Incoming Class
In-State
17
10%
Out-State
130
78%
International
20
12%
Academic Averages for Acceptance:
DAT Academic Average
DAT Natural Science
DAT Perceptual Ability
Cumulative GPA
Science GPA
23.7
23.4
21.6
3.84
3.8
Range of Academic Averages for Acceptance:
5th Percentile of Enrollees
95th Percentile of Enrollees
DAT Academic Average
21
27
Cumulative GPA
3.63
4.00
Science GPA
3.52
4.00
Prerequisites
Preferred
Strongly Preferred
Required
Baccalaureate is:
Required Coursework:
Required Course
Credits (Semesters/Quarters)
Required Lab
Biology
2 semesters/3 quarters
General Chemistry I
1 semester/2 quarters
Organic Chemistry I
1 semester/2 quarters
General or Organic Chemistry II
1 semester/ 2 quarters
Physics
2 semesters/3 quarters
Mathematics (calculus preferred, but any college-level math will suffice)
1 semesters/1 quarter
English Composition (speech, literature, humanities courses, freshman writing seminars, technical/business writing, and other writing intensive courses)
2 semesters/3 quarters
- Recommended Courses Include: Anatomy, Microbiology, Physiology and Physical Chemistry
Community College Coursework and Advanced Placement Credit:
Prerequisites
Electives
AP Credit Accepted
Yes
Yes
Community College Coursework Accepted
Yes
Yes
Specific course abbreviations and course numbers receiving AP credit must appear on one’s official transcript in order to receive AP credit.
Maximum number of Community College Credit Hours:
- 64 (community college work is discouraged after starting a 4-year program or earning a degree)
Required Shadowing Hours:
- Minimum of 100 hours prior to application submission, of which 50+ must be in general dental practices
- Volunteering, pre-dental cub activities and mission trips should be reported on the AADSAS application but do not count towards our 100-hour minimum requirement.
Letters of Recommendation:
- Option 1: Two letters from professors, preferably from the applicant’s major course of study. Science faculty is not required unless you are a science major.
- Option 2: Committee letter
Dental Admissions Test Requirements:
Mandatory DAT
Canadian DAT Accepted?
Applicants Evaluated Before Official DAT Submission?
DAT Score Considered
Yes
Yes
No
Highest score (may change to most recent in 2026 cycle)
Supplemental Information:
Mandatory Casper
Participation in ADEA AADSAS
Required Supplemental Application
Supplemental Application Fee
No
Yes
Yes
Yes: $60 fee for all students
Interview Format
- Between September and March about 430 interviews (14% of applicants) are conducted. They are currently virtual, two 30-minute one-on-ones.
Finances and Application Logistics
Financial Estimations for students starting Fall 2025:
Year
In-State Tuition
Out-State Tuition
Additional Fees
Estimated Living Expenses
D1
$94,176
$94,176
$26,592
$33,622
D2
$94,176
$94,176
$2,876
$33,622
D3
$94,176
$94,176
$21,378
$39,408
D4
$94,176
$94,176
$21,378
$39,408
University Offerings
1. Academic Offerings
- Pre-Dental Opportunities
- Bio-Dental Consortial Programs for High School Students
- Summer Enrichment Courses
- Introduction to Dentistry Summer Program
- Online Coursera courses
- Introduction to Dental Medicine
- The Oral Cavity: Portal to Health and Disease
- Research
- Summer Research Program allows students to experience basic and clinical dental research with a faculty advisor. Students work full time during the summer and continue during the academic year.
- Honors Research Courses are offered
- Students can directly reach out to faculty to participate in independent research
- Research focuses include oral microbiology and virology, inflammation and immunity, tooth development, mucosal disease, salivary gland disease, and more.
2. Clinical Experiences
- Clinical Curriculum Overview
- D1: Students are introduced to relevant medical and dental human biology concepts and begin preclinical courses in restorative dentistry at the Advanced Simulation Laboratory.
- Clinical rotations on oral medicine, periodontics, health promotion, and radiology
- Assist D3 and D4 students on the clinic floor
- D2: Continued preclinical work in the Advanced Simulation Laboratory. Clinical experiences in anesthesia, community health, endodontics, orthodontics, and periodontics.
- Students begin to provide direct patient care in hygiene and operative dentistry.
- D3-D4: Students function as full-time comprehensive dental practitioners, utilizing combined knowledge from every dental specialty.
- D1: Students are introduced to relevant medical and dental human biology concepts and begin preclinical courses in restorative dentistry at the Advanced Simulation Laboratory.
- Postdoctoral and Residency Programs
- Graduate Dental Education programs:
- Advanced Education in General Dentistry program
- Certificates in:
- Endodontics
- Oral Medicine
- Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
- Oral Maxillofacial Surgery Residency/M.D.
- Orthodontics
- Pediatric Dentistry
- Periodontics
- Periodontics/Orthodontics
- Periodontics/Prosthodontics
- Prosthodontics
- Graduate Dental Education programs:
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